Compass Box Hedonism The Muse

N: Soft honey, crisp apple and grassy notes. P: Front of palate is a vanilla custard bomb! Very sweet and full of flavor. Mid palate has some nice baking spice. F: Flash of oak and it's gone with some sweet lingering notes.

92.5/100* *I rank my whiskey based on a 100 point scale. It is a cumulative score with each category of nose, taste, finish, and balance worth up to 25 points. Here is how this score translates to the number of stars I give: 0 stars = 50 or below 1 star = 60 2 stars = 70 3 stars = 80 4 stars = 90 5 stars = 100 The score is rounded to the closest 1/4 star increment.

I spent the past few days in Chicago, taking in some of the sights and some great weather.  I also had the opportunity to go to two great whiskey bars - Delilah's and the Franklin Room.  Both were great, although whiskey is about the only thing the two establishments have in common. The Franklin Room is a restaurant and bar below ground, full of dark colored wood paneling.  The bartenders know their stuff, from whiskey to cocktails. Notwithstanding the upscale feel, the prices are reasonable and all whiskeys are available in sizes from 1oz to a quarter of a bottle. Upon arriving, the wife and I took a seat at the bar, and while she ordered a cocktail, I started to peruse the whiskey list.  Knowing that it would take me a while to establish an overall plan of attack, i looked for an obvious quick hit to sip while I contemplated further options.  Hedonism the Muse jumped out at me. I've never had the Muse, but I absolutely love the regular Hedonism.  Certainly in my top 10 list. The Muse did not disappoint.  Rich, sweet, and lovely. Loads of vanilla, some fruit, a mild and pleasant oak note, and just a touch of spice.  It took all of two sips for me to decide that I needed a bottle, and I grabbed my phone from my pocket like an impatient child. And therein lies the rub - the price of admission is $250-300+.  That seems steep, particularly in comparison to the regular Hedonism, which I picked up earlier this summer in travel retail for less than $70.   I have yet to spend that much on a bottle of whiskey, and although I have a solid frame of reference for VFM in the $0-150 range, I certainly cant say the same about $250+.   So for now, I'll bide my time while I figure out what I expect a $250 whiskey to be.